Colloqui
Classe di Scienze
Mercoledì 24
febbraio 2010
ore
15.00
Scuola Normale
Superiore
Pisa
(Sala Stemmi)
Claudio
Zannoni
Università di Bologna
Terrà un seminario dal
titolo:
“Building
Soft Matter from the Bottom up: a Computer Simulation Approach”
Abstract:
Soft matter comprises a variety of
condensed matter systems like liquid crystals, polymers, colloids, gels, and a
number of biological systems, whose structure can be easily modified thermally
or by the intervention of external fields. Understanding these systems or
developing new ones with specifically tailored functionalities relies on
establishing a robust link between molecular features and macroscopic
properties. This implies at first a generic understanding of the effects of
shape, charge distribution etc. of the molecular building blocks on the
resulting molecular organizations. However, a much more ambitious goal is that
of predicting morphologies and properties at various temperatures and working
conditions starting from a specific molecular structure and observing the
transitions from one phase to another. In this Colloquium we plan to show some
recent examples of the application of computer modelling and simulations to
various areas of soft matter, in particular: liquid crystals with their phase
transitions and topological defects; organic nanostructures, and proteins with
their conformational changes, highlighting some recent advances and
outstanding problems.